Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

T wo days later, Lavinia found herself squirming under her cousin's intent gaze as the carriage rambled down toward a soiree at the Perkins house.

"Stop that!" she chided him.

He raised a hand in surrender, "I am not doing a thing. I'm all the way over here and you are all the way over there."

"You are infuriating."

"And you are a brilliant actress. You could make a fortune on the stage if your farce marriage to the Duke does not work out."

"Noah!" Lady Hartfield snapped, "Do not say such things to Lavinia. Lavvie, dear, pay him no mind. I do not know what has come over him."

"Other than the fact that I seem to be the only one who can see through her?" He raised a brow at her.

She shifted her gaze away from his, "I do not know what you are talking about."

"Be happy for her," Lavinia's aunt said. "She managed to land a man who she adores. It is so very rare in society to find so many good traits in one person. The Duke is not just well to do, but Lavinia says he is a genuinely kind man."

"Hmm," her cousin hummed, "he is so perfect and dashing," he said sarcastically.

"I loathe you," her mouth twitched.

He guffawed and then the two of them were doubled over laughing much to Lady Hartfield's confusion. She shook her head at them and stepped down from the carriage as it came to a halt.

"Rumors are flying about you and the Duke, dear," her aunt informed her, "I have already gotten several more invitations and people leaving their calling cards. But, if the dowager Duchess fails to acknowledge you tonight-"

She didn't need to complete her statement for Lavinia to realize the effect of that.

"It will be fine," Noah patted the hand she had on his arm, "The dowager Duchess is not going to snub you publicly. I'm sure she does not want the sort of rumors that act will bring about."

After their day at the ice parlor, Lavinia had noticed that Victor's sister was skeptical about her. And if the girl was, it wasn't farfetched to assume that her mama may share the same opinion.

She took in a deep breath, "we are holding up the carriage line."

The group of three, with the two women hanging off each of Noah's arms approached the large, double doors of the house, head held high.

It was quite obvious that her presence bad been long awaited as she immediately spotted people whispering to each other as she stepped in.

The eyes on her were a mixture of awe, envy, surprise, contempt, derision and curious. She had suspected that after their public outing, she would have to face something similar to this, but lord, she hadn't thought it would be this obvious.

"I am not the one being scrutinized but I want to tuck tail and run," Noah whispered to her, "This is almost terrifying."

The horror in his voice caused her to bite back a deranged laughter.

"I believe she was compromised," she heard someone whisper, "It is the only way the Duke would ever agree to wed her."

"I heard she trapped him."

"I heard they have been betrothed from childhood. The former Duke arranged it before he passed and the current Duke has no way of breaking out of it."

"Poor man," someone else tsked. "If he had only known she would grow up to be so plain."

Lavinia's ears were burning, but she was a soon to be duchess, she couldn't give in to her temper. She had known people would talk, she just hadn't realized they would be so shameless about it.

The crowd suddenly parted to reveal the Dowager Duchess of Wyld. For one terrifying second, Lavinia thought she would snub her in public, but the woman hadn't gotten to where she was by being a fool.

"Come, child," she smiled at her, a stiff and false smile but a smile nonetheless.

The ton's penchant for gossip was only surpassed by how gullible they tended to be and so they watched with bated breath as Lavinia approached Victor's mother, a woman she had never met before in her life with a fond smile.

"Your Grace," Lavinia dropped into a curtsy worthy for a queen and the Dowager Duchess laughed.

"Nonsense," she said, loud enough for the people around to hear, "You mustn't address me so formally. We are soon to be family, after all."

With that single move, Lavinia's place had been secured and the gossip around her engagement to the Duke was squashed.

"I had no idea you were capable of showing such deference," someone whispered into her ear.

She turned with a small gasp to see the Duke standing beside her wearing a smile so small that she knew it was just for her.

She smiled sweetly at him and whispered back, "My deference is reserved solely for people who deserve it."

"Let me guess," he said, stealing her away from his mother's side with a practiced ease that to anyone else wouldn't reveal that he was saving the two women from each other, "Everyone but one certain duke?"

She looked thoughtful, "I think that is about right, Your Grace."

"I thought we had gone past Your Grace."

"Have we?" She raised a brow. "I thought that was for when it was just us."

"Do you plan on Your Gracing me into old age?" he asked.

She froze. Honestly, she hadn't thought past a few years from now. It was just now hitting her that she was going to spend years and years of her life with this man.

In an arrangement.

Not a marriage.

The breath sawed out of her and she turned away to comport herself, "I do not see Georgie anywhere."

"Patrick escorted her to get some fresh air. She did not want to be around for the whole display that was going to happen when you arrived," he looked at her, "they have been waiting for you."

"The sharks waiting for a taste of blood which in this case would have been a hint of weakness."

"Or my mother giving you the cut direct."

She sighed, "she does not like me very much, I can tell."

His jaw clenched, "she'll come around."

Lavinia could still feel eyes on her back and they left her feeling tense and too self-conscious. "How long will the curiosity last?"

The Duke winced. "Probably for the rest of your life."

Her jaw dropped to the ground. "For the rest of my life? Impossible. There will always be something new for them. Some new scandal. The interest of the ton is fickle."

They made a sharp turn away from the room and he slanted her a serious look, "Trust me, my lady, the ton can multitask when they set their mind to it. They will always have their eyes on you, just waiting for you to do something completely unforgivable so they can collectively decide that you are not good enough or you are besmirching a great name."

There was something bitter in his voice that made her snap her head to stare at him. When she did, she found that his jaw was clenched tight.

It suddenly hit her that the title had been thrust unto Victor too early. Where everyone was marveled by the young, dashing Duke, she wondered who had ever pitied the youth who had to grow up too fast.

The responsibility must have been daunting to him. She felt her heart ache for him and she resisted the urge to slide her hand into his or hug him, or something as equally ludicrous as that.

"In that case, I shall have to leave you to deal with their curious eyes while I retire to the country and live out the rest of my days."

She felt him still momentarily, "I did not think you would fancy the country life."

Lavinia raised a brow, "What is not to like about riding with the wind in my hair, fresh air and an absence of nosy neighbors?"

"I thought it would be rather dull for someone like you."

"Why is that?"

He rolled his broad shoulders in a shrug, "It seems I do not know you all that well after all."

"It's a good thing you have several years ahead to find out then."

Right as the words left her mouth, she froze and she could feel how still he had gone too. It seemed that it was only just dawning on the both of them that there would be nothing temporary about their arrangement. They could choose to live apart the rest of their lives, but they would still be tied together.

Being tied to the man before her for the rest of her life, she mused, then ruthlessly squashed the hint of giddiness that came to life inside of her.

"I wonder what mysteries I may find," his voice was low, almost intimate and it slid down her skin like a touch.

"Find away," she replied, eyes locked on his, "I'm an open book, Your Grace."

"I also prefer life in the country."

Which meant that they were going to be living under one roof, and most likely with just a wall separating them. Or would she be banished to the other wing of the house? Did she want to be so close to him? Going to bed each night just knowing he was on the other side.

It was only then that she realized they had found their way into a dark alcove, partially hidden by one of the thick pillars that encircled the room.

"Do you have dogs?" she blurted out.

He looked taken aback for a second. "Yes, but I have no fondness for the beasts. Georgianna found them half dead in the woods and brought them home. She's got a dire case of a bleeding heart."

Lavinia laughed. "Truly? How many are they? What are their names? I've always wanted dogs but my aunt dislikes them, they make her sick."

"There are three of them and about their names, you will have to ask my sister. I've never concerned myself with such things," he made a face, "They scratch up the furniture and make an awful amount of noise. Worst of all, they completely ignore Georgianna and insist on following me everywhere."

Her mouth curled up into a fond smile, "You play the brute so well."

The Duke glared at her, very much unamused, "There is nothing feigned about my dislike for those three."

She couldn't help but laugh, entertained by how disgruntled he looked.

"There you are," someone said, approaching them, "This is quite a romantic scene."

They hurriedly pulled away from each other and Lavinia looked over the Duke's shoulder to see Lord Dillon staring at them curiously. Even though their interaction had been completely innocent, Lavinia felt her cheeks heating up like they had been caught doing something bad.

There was also the slightest bit of annoyance at being interrupted, which made no sense.

"My lord," she dropped into a curtsy.

"I had better start getting used to calling you Your Grace," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Did you need something?" Victor asked curtly and the Viscount turned to him with barely concealed surprise.

"I came to congratulate the happy couple and get away from some people who believe your new and sudden marriage fever must have affected me too."

She managed to chuckle, "if you'll excuse me, I must go back to my aunt. I have dithered enough."

The Duke opened his mouth to say something and then promptly snapped his mouth back closed. She could have sworn he was going to protest against her leaving. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking.

But as she crossed the room back to her aunt's side, she couldn't help but wonder if she wasn't the only one who hadn't wanted their conversation to end.

Lavinia looked over her shoulder and met those intense blue eyes, staring right at her and paying no attention whatsoever to the man before him. The breath froze in her throat and she quickly snapped her head away.

"Are you alright?" Lady Hartfield asked her, "you look rather flushed."

"I'm alright."

Even as she replied, she could feel his heavy gaze on her like hot poker pressing against her skin. It stayed that way for the rest of the night.